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I recently rehomed an english cocker spaniel. A lovely dog…

I recently rehomed an...

I recently rehomed an english cocker spaniel. A lovely dog with one exception. He becomes extremely aggressive, snarling and snapping, if his will is thwarted. For example, if he puts his paws on the kitchen counter to get to food and is told no, off, leave or down, he becomes aggressive. If he jumps on the sofa and is told no etc. he becomes aggressive. He does not like the word no. I do not want to get into a confrontational relationship with him. I think that I need a distraction technique, but I don’t know how to do it. Any good advice would be very gratefully received.

Veterinarian's Assistant: I'll do all I can to help. What is the dog's name and age?

His name is ***** ***** he is 3 year’s old.

Veterinarian's Assistant: Is there anything else the Dog Trainer should be aware of about Pepito?

I think that the aggression is the issue that concerns me most. To clarify the sofa situation, he becomes aggressive immediately he notices that you are coming to tell him off. Once, I pulled the lead to get him off and he came straight for me. Lunging, snarling and biting. The associated problem is after an aggressive incident he remains angry at me for the entire day. Every time he sees me he growls, snarles, lunges etc. The next day everything is forgiven...until the next incident.

Hello and welcome. My name is ***** ***** I have been in the dog field for 25 years. I am a Therapy Dog & AKC Evaluator/trainer/ as well as an assistance/service dog trainer, specializing in behavior. It will be my pleasure to help you today. I am working on your question now. It may take a few minutes for me to type a personal response or type questions regarding your situation. Your patience is very much appreciated.

How long have you had him?

Are you training him in obedience?

Do you tell him no or do you use the cue of off?

Do you have a kennel for him?

What have you tried beside telling him no or off?

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Customer reply replied 1 month ago

Hello Sally. I have had him for a week. I am just trying to keep the peace at the moment as I am unsure how to handle him and to avoid confrontational situations. I have to say that the growling, snarling, lunging, biting etc. does make me nervous. I have tried no, off, down or bad boy, but he objects strongly. He does not like a finger pointed at him which I did once. I do not have a kennel for him. He has a bed in the kitchen. Interestingly, during one rage, I told him to sit and that halted the rage. I think that he thought that he was going for a walk, which he loves. However, when he realised no walk was forthcoming, he became angry with me again. Another time, during a rage, I showed him the lead and he stopped. I did then take him for a walk. Again, my concern is the aggressive rage and the time that it takes him to forget his anger. As he was rehomed from an animal protection kennel I do not know his history. He also does not like anyone coming near his bowl when he is eating. I feel that he directs his rage at anyone who attempts to discipline or, in his view, dominate him. Virginia

Thank you for that information. Given the fact he gets mad when on the couch and does not like one near his food., I would say he has possession aggression. This needs to be dealt with a bit differently so that he begins to rely on you for everything. It also means he can no longer go on furniture. I would put his bed or a new bed in the area of the couch.

I would teach him a go to be command so you can move him without touching him or being stern. make everything upbeat like it is a good idea to move as then something special is coming. Then once he goes to his bed you would reward with a high value item such as chicken sliver, and then give him a stay command.

I would say that he may not have had much training with the attitude he comes with , or at the very least he was taught incorrectly for his attitude:)

I would start a positive method of training such as clicker training and I would also put him on the learn to earn program. This will have him see you more as the leader without any sternness. It should also have him want to work for you. You can use his daily dose of kibble as a training reward but when you get to harder tasks such as the couch removal to the bed you want to up the reward ante.

I am going to put links below to show you more on clicker training and the learn to earn.

Could you just explain what you mean by a go to be command? I am looking carefully at the links. Thank you. For now, at the time that he is in a rage, how do I deal specifically and safely with that? If I call him off the sofa with a treat or if I show him his lead and take him fir a walk, is that rewarding him for bad behaviour?

I am sorry , go to bed command. This would be taught like any other. Once he is used to what the clicker means, start by having a piece of chicken in your hand, stand near his bed and if he makes a small move ,or looks at his bed, click and treat. continue this but hold off the click when a little longer so you can build on him actually going on the bed. so first couple of times he looks at the bed, you click and treat, next you wait for him to move toward the bed, then click and treat, then you wait for him to touch the bed, click and treat, then wait to use the click until he is on the bed.

You are not rewarding him for bad behavior, you are rewarding him for getting off the couch, eventually you can use your off command without a growl or your go to bed command.

Hi,I'm just following up on our conversation about your pet. How is everything going?Sally G.

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Customer reply replied 1 month ago

Firstly, thank you for the links. This has opened a whole new window to me. I am very interested in the clicker training. I am currently reading 2 books, Karen Pryor and Emma Parsons, which I think will be helpful. So far as Pepito, I am away presently, due to return next Monday. I intend to immediately begin with the clicker training then. Please may I ask for a little advice based on your practical experience? There is some behaviour that I need to be able to deal with, before/at the same time as introducing the clicker training. Pepito knows what he shouldn’t do. For example, stand up and put his front feet on the kitchen counter to get at food or be on the sofa/armchair. Before I even get the chance to give him a command (I may just look at him) he shoots off the sofa/armchair and comes roaring at me snarling etc. At that point what do you suggest that I do? As I have mentioned before, a sit command or a sight of the leash will stop him in his tracks temporarily. Should I click treat immediately and take him for a walk? Also, when he loses his temper he can be angry at me for an entire day (every time he sees me he begins raging again). How do you suggest I deal with this? I feel that I have to use the clicker training to deal around the aggression, but I also have to deal with the aggression now. Thank you.

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Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.